More Steel, A Welder Cart

Stuart Ablett

Member
Messages
15,917
Location
Tokyo Japan
A triple stack cart.

I wanted to have all three of my machines easily at hand, but not under my bench, my MIG is there now and it gets really dirty.

This is what I came up with.

First I did a test fit....

IMG_6668.JPG


There will be my old heavy stick welder on the bottom, my new arc plasma cutter in the middle and my MIG on top, the MIG is the tool I use the most by far. On the back will be my gas bottle, I weld with extra gas from our draught beer machines, I often get cylinders back from customers with maybe 1/8 of a tank left, the would rather change the tank out without a restaurant full of customers, so the swap them when they are low, thus I get free gas!

Then I tacked it all together....
IMG_6670.JPG


I then checked my sizes again, just to be sure and then welded it up solid.

IMG_6671.JPG

IMG_6672.JPG


I can sit on the top shelf and bounce up and down and it does not flex much at all, and I'm a big boy:rolleyes::D

IMG_6673.JPG

IMG_6674.JPG

Poor pictures of passable welds, I'm welding with 100% CO2 if that changes anything.

IMG_6677.JPG

IMG_6681.JPG

IMG_6678.JPG


The gas bottle on the back is just sitting there, I did NOT move the cart with the bottle on it, I need to make some sort of a tie down for the gas bottle.
Now I need to make the platforms for the shelves, I'm thinking just plywood painted black maybe, and then I have to figure out some cable holders of some kind.

I'd appreciate some input on the cable holders, pics if you got them :D

The rack is VERY stable, I think I like it. I will be able to move the cart around in my small shop or even move it outside if needed to work.

Cheers!
 
Last edited:
Bravo, man that is a neat cart. Well done Stu. Thanks for sharing that. Hope you gonna give us a review sometime of the new plasma toy. I have really been wondering how those units perform. Boy this is exciting. I am absolutely no help in the hook pic idea dept. sorry.
 
I use horseshoes as hooks to wrap the cables up. The higher up on your cart, the bigger the loop (less coiling).

I'm thinking something more like a hose rack, something like this.....

hoserack.jpg


But with a larger diameter and thinner, up high on the left side for the MIG and then something similar on the down low for the Stick Welder's cables. The Plasma Arc cutter I think I can put the cables beside the unit on the shelf it sits on, I might just make a simple box that would keep them contained, I could put them in the box and then slide the box on to the shelf beside the Plasma Arc Machine. :dunno: Remember I'm trying to keep this as small as possible, when not in use I don't want to be tripping over it or having to contend with loose cables. I also have to make a fixture on the back to hold the bottle in place, and I need to wire it up. I run a 200V extension cord to the welder now, I will continue to do that but I want to have all the machines just wired into one box so I just plug the ext cord into it and all three machines will have power, but I don't want to store the ext cord on the welder cart, no need to, it can hang on the wall over by the electrical panel when not in use.
 
Last edited:
The welds look a heck of a lot better than mine. Did you re purpose the steel from something else?

Thank you Ted, I'm a bit out of practice but it is returning. Welding with just CO2 is a bit hotter than the CO2/argon mix and a bit messier too. No repurposed steel, all new, but I have about $60 into the cart including the wheels, the big ones were $12 each! At least the casters up front were from an old cart that got retired at the L shop.
 
Bravo, man that is a neat cart. Well done Stu. Thanks for sharing that. Hope you gonna give us a review sometime of the new plasma toy. I have really been wondering how those units perform. Boy this is exciting. I am absolutely no help in the hook pic idea dept. sorry.

Rob don't get a Plasma Arc Torch, it's a slippery slope I tell you! :D Man that thing is SLICK I need to practice more and I also have to get a dryer on my compressor as well as a larger compressor at some point...... next month? :rolleyes: Hey, Christmas IS coming..... :santa:
 
Nice looking stand. I'd second adding hooks for cables and such. Though you need some diamond plate and off road wheels like mine. ;)

cart_right.JPG


https://plus.google.com/photos/118439887436548433410/albums/5230850089918459025?banner=pwa

Actually I've considered one for the shop like yours, it's rare that mine actually gets pulled across the yard, but has been handy the few times that I have.

For anything over rough ground yeah, that cart would be great! I'd have to go down the street to the park to find an area that is NOT covered by concrete or asphalt :doh:
One good looking MIG that you have there, I have a Hobart Handler 175, is yours the newer 187?

Cheers!
 
Looks like you are set up for some serious welding. I'd hate to show the cart my old Lincoln welder sits on. I make it using an old golf cart I got from a yard sale. Been thinking about selling my welding stuff. I was never good at it, when you use it about once every 10 years, you don't get good at it. Any welding I need done I take to my brother in law or his son. They are good at it.
 
With that plasma torch you now have new things to use your scraps on. When making long cuts or curves, use a board instead of metal, this way the arc doesn't wander towards your straight edge like it would if it were made of metal. Soft woods will flame over time, but that is to be expected.
 

If you are trying to keep your width then put your verticals up from the front and your hooks (horseshoes utilize less space than your hose hangar) (every time a spool is replaced from our mig welders at school the boys beg for them to make hose hangers at home out of them). With the "laid back" design, the first vertical or pair of verticals could come up from the bottom frame to the middle of the center machine. That keeps the lower unit's cables off of the ground and stop them from being ruined by being run over. Then the two vertical uprights from the center unit rise to the middle of the top machine and then the top machine's uprights are higher than it. MIG and plasma cables don't do well winding them tight and in small loops. I like to see larger loops, less chance of creating a bend (I am working with kids more than you). I also always put two hooks/horseshoes on as I detest separating cables all the time. One for power one for ground. Never hang a stinger or ground clamp on a cylinder. If a spark occurs and burns the paint on the cylinder, you will have to purchase that cylinder and they will have to destroy it as the integrity of the cylinder has been compromised. Did that once and from then on, all MIG welders get horseshoe hangers before they are put into service at school.
 
It is basically done except for paint.


IMG_6724.JPG

I put two hooks on the right side of the cart to hold the MIG cable and gun and the Plasma cable and gun


IMG_6726.JPG

I put just one hook on the left side for the ground cables.


IMG_6730.JPG

In reality I use the MIG the most, and when I'm not using the Plasma I will put the cables back into the blue bag that they came in, which fits nicely beside the Plasma on the same shelf. That leaves just the MIG cable on the right side and the MIG ground cable on the left, much cleaner set up.


You can also see the bent rod I put on the front as a handle, or to hang stuff from that I've not thought of yet.


IMG_6727.JPG

Here is the back of the cart.
IMG_6728.JPG

I put another bent rod on the back to hold the plug wires for the welders. I need to get another plug end for the stick welder, that is not set up yet.


IMG_6729.JPG

To keep the CO2 bottle in place I cut a round hole in a piece of 1" thick plywood I had and painted that black and added it to the plywood platform on the bottom shelf, then I cut a half circle with the Plasma torch in some 6mm thick plate I had and welded that to the back of the second shelf. I rolled a piece of flat bar and welded some tabs on it and put some bolts through some holes to hold it in place. No chain for my tank!


Now I'll use if for a bit and see how it works, so far so good, then I'll paint it.


I was also thinking of buying a BBQ cover for it just to keep the dust off it when not in use.


Cheers!
 
Last edited:
Top